In the past, ours took several business days, but that was long before all the banking problems.

Put most of my car's engine back together, and realized I forgot to clean the old gasket off the intake elbow.

Of course it's one of those super baked-on ones that wont come off easily. Still, I should be able to start it up later tonight, and with any luck it actually works.

Put most of my car's engine back together, and realized I forgot to clean the old gasket off the intake elbow.

Of course it's one of those super baked-on ones that wont come off easily. Still, I should be able to start it up later tonight, and with any luck it actually works.

Success! Started on the first try. The engine sounds a lot happier now, too.

Only "problem" is a small leak on a small 8" coolant hose that runs to the throttle body, but that'll take 2 minutes to swap out tomorrow. Also still need to take it out for a good drive to make sure no fuel/vacuum leaks anywhere, and that idle and TPS don't need readjustment.

Nice work Fitz!

Thanks! The moment when you first turn the key is always the most tense, so it's very nice to have it kick over right away.

Yay Fitz!

Yay Fitz!

Thanks guys for all the congrats. I will definitely be spoiling niece v2 just like I did with niece v1. It's easier to spoil them when they get a little older though.

Right now I am packing and trying to work on a talk. I am headed out of town for a conference this weekend. Not looking forward to the airport and traveling with crutches (and not having Tim to get stuff for me) but there is not much I can do at this point. Luckily, I am traveling with a friend/colleague who is staying in the same hotel as me though. He has even agreed to drive me around in a rental car around... sweet guy. I don't know what I would do without nice people.

Good job Fitz. I love nice cars but am essentially useless when it comes to working on them. So when I see someone do stuff like you just did (especially on a modern engine) I am in awe.

Woot Fitz!

Did 5 Santa gigs today, have 6 tomorrow, 7 on Saturday, and 1 on Sunday. Nothing Monday or Tuesday, thankfully, and then it starts again on Wednesday. Have 58 events scheduled so far with 47 left to go, and the phone keeps ringing.

Have had to turn down a bunch of Saturday stuff already. Funniest one was this guy who owns a large janatorial company here who I bumped into a couple of weeks ago. He told me then, all proudly, about how he's having a big party for 300-400 guests, and that I'll be "invited" to attend. Got a call this afternoon from someone at his company as a I was driving from one event to another... "We have an invitation for you for our party for Saturday night. You can pick it up any time..." I said, "For me to attend or to hire me to be your Santa?" Then it was, "Oh no, it's just for you to attend, but Mr. Roper told me to tell you that it would be Ok for you to "play Santa" if you want to... then you can have some jerk chicken..."

Go Santa....

Edited December 9, 201114 yr by mikeymad

Good job Fitz. I love nice cars but am essentially useless when it comes to working on them. So when I see someone do stuff like you just did (especially on a modern engine) I am in awe.

It's actually an '89, but yeah still way more complicated than something like your average 70s motor. I used to be pretty intimidated by working on cars, but I've gradually learned a lot just through routine maintenance and fixing shit myself (and helping my dad out with his MGB projects), and realized they're not as bad as I thought. Diagnosing a problem not specific to one part of the engine can be pretty hard, but once you know what needs to be done, it's just a matter of how much stuff you have to take apart and how hard it is to remove those bolts, hoses, parts, etc.

No sir!!! That shit ain't happening on my lap, Mikey!!! Little boys, sure, and girls of all ages, but no big boys!

No pets either! How many figgin' times do I have to tell the photo company people about that?!?! The excuse I use is that I don't want to handle a dog or cat and then an 8 week old baby 5 minutes later. But the reality is that I don't want shit, piss, grime, drool, and fur all over my expensive custom made suits!

Congrats Ryan. I suspect that you treat the car as if it's an AKG.

Awesome work Fitz, what year is your dad's MGB? I ask because my first car was 1967 and except for my 1970 Beetle it has been the most fun car I have owned. Thought of picking one up but parts can be a pain as well as a good local mechanic. So instead I am thinking of a 1969 VW Karman Ghia instead.

Best of luck.

Edited December 9, 201114 yr by mrarroyo

Good job Fitz. I love nice cars but am essentially useless when it comes to working on them. So when I see someone do stuff like you just did (especially on a modern engine) I am in awe.

This. Nice job, Fitz!

Awesome work Fitz, what year is your dad's MGB? I ask because my first car was 1967 and except for my 1970 Beetle it has been the most fun car I have owned. Thought of picking one up but parts can be a pain as well as a good local mechanic. So instead I am thinking of a 1969 VW Karman Ghia instead.

Best of luck.

Not sure exactly, it's one of the ones after they raised the suspension and changed to the rubber bumper. It's very easy to find parts for them though, as well as rust buckets to use as parts cars.

Good job Fitz!

"I don't want shit, piss, grime, drool, and fur all over my expensive custom made suits!"

You just described the bag of laundry I just dropped off at the cleaners.

Flew to Atlanta. It is not fun traveling on crutches - or not having someone to get you stuff when you need it. I requested a handicapped room but I am not sure it is going to be so easy to take a shower in this hotel room. I should have made Tim come with me. Actually, I should have just canceled the trip.

Call up Fitz to get you stuff.

Not sure exactly, it's one of the ones after they raised the suspension and changed to the rubber bumper. It's very easy to find parts for them though, as well as rust buckets to use as parts cars.

Nice to know about the parts availability, my 67 MGB had the chrome bumpers and spoked wheels. Of course it was BRG! How soon will your dad's MGB be completed? I go to Atlanta at least annually and would love to see it completed.

Nice to know about the parts availability, my 67 MGB had the chrome bumpers and spoked wheels. Of course it was BRG! How soon will your dad's MGB be completed? I go to Atlanta at least annually and would love to see it completed.

It was actually completed a few years ago, but sat in the carport for a long while and now it isn't working again (engine is tough to turn over, doesn't actually start, and wheels don't rotate easily). Wire wheels and Tartan Red, and the rubber bumpers were painted so it looks nicer than stock.

Wait, I'm confused. You mean British cars actually work at some point in their existence?

Call up Fitz to get you stuff.

Fitz: Please bring Manhattan in a Box.